The Dolphins’ selection of Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft has been one that has been met with much criticism and skepticism in the immediate aftermath of his rookie season. Tagovailoa’s public perception would probably be fine if not for Miami’s musical chairs handling of the quarterback in crunch time (although Brian Flores was well within his rights to swap passers given the gravity of the playoff race) and also the fact that Justin Herbert, picked one spot behind Tagovailoa, re-wrote the rookie record book for quarterbacks.
But the new normal for young quarterbacks doesn’t have to be all or nothing in year one — and that’s a narrative that ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky put his foot down against earlier this week on television. He slammed the conversation about Miami needing to call an audible at quarterback and referred to the entire narrative as “stupid”.
I hate the convo of “should Mia move on from Tua” and I think it’s stupid https://t.co/mwOTELhaYS
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) March 26, 2021
The assertion that Miami needs to draft another quarterback with the No. 3 pick is not a very common thought just yet — but you can be rest assured that the closer we creep to the 2021 NFL Draft, the louder that noise will get. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has reported that the decision to draft a quarterback in the 1st-round is not on the table for the Dolphins.
“The Dolphins, you see, drafted Tua Tagovailoa No. 5 overall in 2020 and are committed to him as their starter for 2021.
They’ve said as much.
They’ve told Tagovailoa as much,” wrote Salguero.
So while you’re looking for the next creative twist and tweak on your 2021 mock drafts, you can rest easy and cross “quarterback to Miami” off your list of surprises to explore. Miami appears ready to stay the course and continue to maximize their treasure trove of draft picks to put Tagovailoa in the best situation possible — and not to find someone who could push him from the starting role.